18x18x24 planted viv w/ DIY backround crestie build

[fallenangelfyre]

ok, went to the evil empire again and got a nice piece of mopani that will bridge the backround with a rockwall food dish ledge. also got a grab-bag of what i thought was a bunch of malaysian driftwood, didn't read the packaging well enough & turned out to be grapewood (which from what i've read doesn't hold up well in wet vivs). so . . idk.
anyway, also checked out glass-holes.com & am seriously considering drilling for a bulkhead drain valve. prolly be about $25-30 for the drill bit, bulkhead fitting, & pvc fittings. well worth the price. still haven't overcome the fear of cracking the glass yet. just have to grow a pair i guess.

[beckdg]

your pear will be big and fuzzy when you're finished up... just be gentle on the glass, hold the bit still until it makes it's own groove (starting at a slight angle and gently making it really helps), have patience and be sure to catch the falling glass from the hole on something soft.

you'll be fine.

[fallenangelfyre]

more planning! i know, i know- i too barely glance at threads with no pics or actual construction.
ok, so i've decided i'm just going to do a simple pvc embedded in the backround for siphoning access rather than drilling for a bulkhead. alas, my pair is shriveled & covered in peach fuzz.
with the kaz ulrasonic humidifier en route, DIY fogging will be happening.
i've been planning the top of the viv & this is what i've come up with:
going to cover about 70% with plexi. going to mount an intake & exhaust fan (computer fans) with pvc enclosing the air-exchange so as to not lose humidity. doing this for some air movement to try to cut out mold growth & can't hurt for the cresties "naturalistic" setup. what i'm envisioning:


and for you pic hounds, what i'm starting with:


another thing- was thinking of carving up an easter island head thingy, embed it in the bg, and have the fog pour out of his mouth-


my only reservation about this plan is i've read that as much as 85% of a certain type (UVB?) of light can be lost going through glass or plexi. this can't be healthy for the plants-

[fallenangelfyre]

siliconed in all the pvc connectors & what-not for the fogger:



started carving up my statue guy. turned out kinda creepy looking. gonna have the fog come out of his nose (was toying with the idea of having green LED's in his eyes):

[beckdg]

that's going to be a sweet little statue.

[Smnthkmyr36]

Lookin good. What's your plan for covering the statue? I have read a lot on grout/concrete but I can't figure out how you seal this for use in a wet/humid environment...

[fallenangelfyre]

yep, going to do unsanded grout on the styrofoam parts. as far as sealing, the viv i did a grout faux rock wall previously was a desert dry viv so i just used mod podge. but i seriously doubt mod podge would hold up well in a wet viv. so i was thinking of polyacrylic. i have some left over, & supposed to be inert after curing.

[fallenangelfyre]

not alot of progress, but have one cool pic testing out the fogger through the statue head-

[fallenangelfyre]

in the process of applying gs & carving. question:
need a way to seal the grout faux rock wall portions. i used mod podge in my previous build because it was a dry desert style viv, but i've noticed mod podge doesn't hold up well to moisture. i do have some polyacrylic that i bought recently for a furniture project (i believe minwax). toying with using it. i tried reading the msds sheet on it, but honestly i just don't understand all that technical mumbo-jumbo.
anybody have any experience using this stuff? any horror stories? successful attempts?

[fallenangelfyre]

this is my slow&steady progress so far: